Nail polish brush guide



May 13, 1 A. MCKINNEY, JR

NAIL POLISH BRUSH GUIDE Filed NOV. 7, 1940 A; E v p 1 A E v. H w i a QM WW 3 .n 9 fig: M i m F l A WITNESS Jae KDM-OLQMZQ Patented May 13, 1941 STATES PATENT @FFEQE.

NAIL POLISH BRUSH GUIDE Ansel McKinney, J12, El Paso, Tex.

Application November 7, 1940, Serial No. 364,733

9 Claims.

The invention aims to provide a novel and advantageous device effectively useable to guide a nail polish brush while applying polish to the finger nails, said device serving to prevent smearing of the polish upon the cuticle.

In carrying out the above end, a further object is to mount the guiding device upon the usual cap of a bottle of nail polish, said guide normally occupying a position at the exterior of the bottle but being movable into cooperative relation with the brush carried by the cap, when the latter is removed from the bottle.

A still further object is to provide a construction which is exceptionally simple and inexpensive, yet will be highly desirable and efficient.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description being accomplished by reference to the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a side elevation showing the guide attached to the ordinary screw cap of a bottle of nail polish.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation showing the cap, the brush carried thereby and the guide detached from the bottle, said guide and brush being in cooperative relation.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the guide and its attaching means disconnected from the cap.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating one of many ways in which the invention may be used to guide the brush.

In the drawing above briefly described, '6 denotes a conventional bottle of nail polish, 1 refers to the usual screw cap of said bottle, and 8 denotes the polish-applying brush carried by the cap.

I provide a ring or band 9, in the present disclosure, to loosely surround the cap 1 so as to permit said cap to turn within said ring or band when removing or applying the cap 1. I have illustrated a peripheral groove i il in the cap, said groove loosely receiving the band or ring 9, but it is not essential that such a groove be provided.

The ring or band 9 carries a guide finger I! which normally occupies a position at the exterior of the bottle 8, said finger, however, being movable inwardly into cooperative relation with the brush 3 when the cap l is detached from the bottle 8, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5. The tip l2 of the guide finger H is intended to abut the cuticle so as to guide the brush 8 and prevent smearing of any of the polish upon said cuticle, and it will be understood that the user may avail herself of said finger when holding the cap and brush as seen in Fig. 5, or in any other position or positions which may suit her convenience.

The finger H is preferably constructed from a single piece of resilient metal or other resilient material and this piece or strip of material is by preference stiffened throughout the greater part of its length by forming a central longitudinal rib l3 upon it. The upper portion of the strip, however, is free to spring, so that-the finger may occupy the normal position seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 or the operative position illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, and it will be seen that said finger may be held in said operative position by one finger of the hand holding the cap I When applying polish to the nails.

In the present disclosure, the upper end of the finger-forming strip is bent downwardly at I4, then upwardly upon itself at l5 and is then bent to form a sleeve it), which sleeve surrounds the band or ring 9 to connect said finger with said band or ring. After forming the sleeve l 6, I prefer to extend the end of the strip horizontally from the lower edge of said sleeve to provide a stop ll which is efiective to limit the inward springing of the finger l3 to its operative position, as seen in Fig. 3. It is preferable to form the upper and lower edges of the band or ring 9 with notches l8 engaging the sleeve 16 to prevent circumferential sliding of the latter upon the former.

The band or ring 9 is by preference formed from a single strip of metal or the like, having its ends connected in any suitable way, for instance, by means of an interengaged slot and tongue i9, 213.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a simple, inexpensive and desirable article has been provided for attaining the desired results. While it is preferable that the entire attachment formed by the ring and finger, remain permanently upon the cap I and that said cap be rotatable within said ring, it will of course be understood that the ring could be readily movable endwise from the cap, if desired. Not only does the finger II constitute an effective guide for use when applying polish to the nails, but the tip of said finger may well carry a diminutive artificial finger nail 2i painted thereon with some of the polish with which the invention is associated, thus enabling purchasers to glance at the simulation 2i and readily determine the exact color which the bottle-contained polish will have when dry.

I claim:

1. In combination with a nail polish bottle having a cap, and a brush carried by said cap and normally confined within the. bottle; a guide member for use when applying polish with said brush, said guide member being normally disposed at the exterior of said bottle, and means connecting said guide member with said cap and permitting movement of said guide member into cooperative relation with said brush when said cap is removed from the bottle.

2. In combination with a nail polish bottle having a cap, and a brush carried by said cap and normally confined within the bottle; a ring with which said cap is rotatably connected, and a guide finger carried by said ring for use when applying polish with said brush, said guide finger normally extending downwardly at the exterior of said bottle but being inwardly yieldable into cooperative relation with said brush when said cap is removed from the bottle.

3. In combination with a finger nail polish brush and a bottle cap carrying said brush; a

guide member for use when applying polish and a guide finger connected with said ring for 'and a brush carried thereby, said cap having a peripheral groove, a ring surrounding said cap and loosely received in said groove to permit the cap to rotate Within the ring, and a guide finger connected at one end with said ring and extending downwardly in spaced relation with said brush, said finger being inwardly movable to bring its lower end into cooperative relation with the brush.

6. In combination with a nail polish bottle cap and a brush carried thereby, a guide finger for use when applying polish with the brush, said finger having a resilient upper end connected with said cap, said finger extending downwardly in spaced relation with the brush and being inwardly springable to bring its lower end into cooperative relation with said brush.

7. An attachment for a cap-carried nail polish brush, comprising a ring to surround the cap, and a guide finger connected at one end with said ring for use when applying polish with the brush, said guide finger extending downwardly for spaced relation with thebrush and being movable to bring its lower end into cooperative relation with said brush.

8. An attachment for a cap-carried nail polish brush, comprising a band to surround .the cap, and a vertically elongated resilient strip to constitute a guide finger while applying polish with the brush, the upper end portion of said strip being bent downwardly and then bent to form a sleeve, said sleeve surrounding said band to connect said finger therewith, said finger extending downwardly for spaced relation with said brush and being inwardly springab'le to position its lower end in cooperative relation with the brush.

9. A structure as specified in claim 8; said strip being further bent at the lower edge of said sleeve to form a stop for limiting the inward springing of said finger.

ANSEL MCKINNEY, J a. 

